Question for the Europeans/those well-traveled.

[Fuglydude]

I haven't travelled nearly as much as I would have liked. I've been to many places in the US/Canada. Singapore, India, Australia, etc. However, never have been to Europe. I've read many posts from dudes from Europe and from guys like BigJimbo who extoll Europe while saying that the US blows! I've never been to Europe so I don't know the differences between the two societies.

I recently took a trip of Montreal, Canada. Montreal is one of the most European places in Canada. I live in Western Canada, which is kind of the most redneck part! I definitely noticed quite a few differences between the two:

1. Generally, more attractive girls in Montreal vs. my neck of the woods. Women there were dressed great and generally in better shape.

2. Less fat people everywhere. I've been to places in the US where the number/amounts of fat people make me wanna throw up. Montreal had hardly any.

3. Generally, people were more friendly/laid back vs. many other parts of the world that I've been to. I guess most people in Canada are pretty chill. I still think San Fran has some of the friendliest people anywhere!

4. Very multicultural societies. Walking through the mall I saw tons of different people from many different cultures/ethnicities. I guess most bigger cities are probably like this.

5. Lots of nice high-end vehicles vs. western Canada... My city is a fairly blue-collar city, and people will go out and drop 50k on a souped up truck even if they don't need one... guess its just culture here. There's LOTS of money in my province, so people here can afford to make dumb purchases.

6. More liberal attitudes towards homos, nudity, etc. I remember going to a news stand kiosk at the airport and them having mainstream magazines w/ nudity right on the cover.

7. Alcohol is very easily available. Any cafe that we went to seemed to have beer/wine for sale. This is hardly the case in Alberta, where you have to be specifically licensed to serve alcoholic beverages, and smaller cafes hardly ever have alcohol.

8. Tons of pedestrian traffic in certain parts of the city... People seem to walk a lot more in certain parts of the city vs. driving. I've heard that Europeans walk/bike a helluva lot more than us here in North America.

Basically I'm wondering if these are trends that are seen in Europe vs. the US/North America for those who are from Europe or have traveled there... Yes BigJimbo I'm calling you out!

It was a cool experience. Guys in Montreal/Europe must have a kickass time railing all these hot girls!!

 

[5string]

The hottest women are in the Czech Republic. Just my opinion. Less feminized although definately feminine if that makes sense.

I have been all over Europe and in general, really liked the people. Last time I was in Ireland, I don't think I ever saw a fattie walking around with a big gulp and a bag of fries stuck in her face like back in the US.

Never had a problem getting alcohol in any European country. They do walk and ride bikes alot also. They are however moving toward the SUV thing moreso than a few years ago.

Countries of choice in order:

Scotland
Ireland
Czech Rep
Italy
Germany
Austria
Switzerland

 

[Iceberg]

I've been to London, Germany, Amsterdam, and Prague. And most of what you see is true.

People are in good shape. Well dressed. They walk / bike alot. Multicultural.

But a lot of this is true for cities in general...even Philadelphia, where I currently live. Although we have a lot of fatties.

But yeah, there's something about European cities that really brings out the interesting parts of culture. I plan to quit my job in a few weeks and go on a 3-month adventure through Europe.

I highly recommend Amsterdam. Not just because of the weed sh*t. But it's a very creative city with a lot of culture. Plus they speak great English, which helps...

 

[Rogue]

The hottest women are in the Czech Republic. Just my opinion. Less feminized although definately feminine if that makes sense.

Oh boy. I'm taking a two week vacation to Germany and Czech this summer, during Oktoberfest. :yes:

 

[5string]

Oh boy. I'm taking a two week vacation to Germany and Czech this summer, during Oktoberfest. :yes:

Please PM with a FR!!!!

Try to hit Munich during Oktoberfest. It's like a German Mardi Gras!

I'm jealous. Wait a second....Oktoberfest in the summer?

 

[Rogue]

Try to hit Munich during Oktoberfest. It's like a German Mardi Gras! I'm jealous. Wait a second....Oktoberfest in the summer?

Oh Munich is on the menu, for sure. It's Mardi Gras on an epic scale. :woo:

My trip is from September 12-24. Oktoberfest begins on the 19th. Fall begins on the 22nd. So, end of summer. Summer vacation sounds better than fall vacation, doesn't it?

 

[ChalengeGuyFan]

I've never been to Europe so I don't know the differences between the two societies.

Europe does not represent a country, nor a culture, nor a mentality, nor a society, but a collection of those things.

Therefore, Americans should stop lumping everything together under the word "European".

 

[Fuglydude]

Europe does not represent a country, nor a culture, nor a mentality, nor a society, but a collection of those things.

Therefore, Americans should stop lumping everything together under the word "European".

America doesn't represent a single culture, mentality or society either. There are huge inter-regional differences through out North America. However, when taken as a whole, Europe and North America are two distinct societies when it comes to many things including culture, politics, social policy, demographic trends, etc. For example, many countries in Europe have highly comprehensive social programs and universal healthcare... meanwhile the US does not. There also seems to be a distinct american view that bigger government = more wasteful... while many Europeans like having more government control over private enterprise. Taxation rates are also higher in Europe to pay for all the social programs vs. here in North America. Demographically, from a health perspective, North America does have higher obesity rates than the US:

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity

The US, Canada and Mexico are ranked 1st, 2nd and 11th respectively, while European countries are generally ranked lower. Taken together, these points basically mean that in general, European society has several key differences when compared to North American societies. My post was simply intended to verify the observations from my trip.

 

[ArcBound]

Question: I'm still young and haven't really traveled the world at all, but why is it Europe, the place where everyone visits? I'm just thinking don't places like China and India and other countries have culture too? Why is it whenever I hear traveling the world, it basically means sight seeing Europe?

 

[BigJimbo]

Europe does not represent a country, nor a culture, nor a mentality, nor a society, but a collection of those things.

Therefore, Americans should stop lumping everything together under the word "European".

Bingo. You are probably the only guy who has travelled Continental Europe on this site. Europe is NOT a culture. It is NOT a look. You can't look or act European. It is similar to Latin America in that it is not one group. Don't group them! America is basically all the same. Same attitudes and culture. New York is very similar to Arizona. Berlin has NOTHING in common with Tallinn.

Also the UK is more similar to America than to Continental Europe. Both are Anglo in thought, culture, and language. A Brit will feel more at home in Houston than Paris.

The best girls (according to most guys) come from parts of Eastern Europe. One guy mentioned Prague. Prague is ok. If you like that look go to Bratislava. Prague is much too Westernized. Great city though.

I would suggest Tallinn or Riga to begin with. Lots of English is spoken and affordable with top flight girls. Ukraine is better, but don't start there. Ukraine is not tourist friendly. Prague is EXTREMLY tourist friendly. Plus, you can get great hotels cheap if you look. Please, don't be a Brit and stay in cheap hostels. If you can afford the plane ticket from America you can afford a nice hotel. It makes all the difference.

Warsaw is nice as well. Budapest is great if you want a grand city. Moscow is amazing if you are a Russophile and like to feel poor. Moscow is also a VERY diverse city with all different looks. Moscow also has the largest Muslim population in Europe. Hell, they all seem to be Muslim there. Kazan and St. Petersburg are amazing. Kazan would blow your mind. A Muslim city that will change how you feel about Islam. St. Petersburg is much more scenic than Moscow. Not as exciting though. Riga is beautiful girls, booze, discos, and gangsters. Russian is the language you hear on the street mostly. Tallinn is a smaller and slower paced Riga. Vilnius is tall men who play and breathes basketball and some of the more beautiful girls on earth. Sofia in Bulgaria is a gangster haven with some very beautiful girls who seem to be a cross of Slavic and Middle Eastern blood. I want to go to Serbia soon.

Western Europe is bland. Italy is interesting. A mess, but interesting. Hell, their 70 plus year old leader keeps getting elected even after getting caught with 16 and 17 year old prostitutes! Try doing that in England"

 

[Ease]

The ethnic difference across europe is clearly much greater than USA and Canada.

There are many different cultures in europe, geographically differing.

Germanic countries like UK and German/austria/NL cultures are much similiar in ways to american culture. Obesity in UK is shocking and the people are generally cold blooded. Things are more ordered and society is systematic, people are polite and go about their business. Art, cuisine etc. is non-existant lol.

Mediterranean Countries are all a bit warmer blooded. Latin origins france, italy and spain/portugal have a greater love of the art/cuisine/tradition. The weather is warmer and the women are more feminine. Communities are closer along the whole of the south.

Slavs to the east europe are a whole people in their own. They are light skinned and tend to be 'harsher' and more 'rude' percieved. The women are famous worldwide for being skinny and obedient. Vodka is standard.

In the balkans, below slavs and east of the latins, are a mixed people of Slav, greek and other ethnicities. Ruled by the Ottoman Turks for 400-500 years, imagine a slavic people with Mediterranean and middle eastern influence.

Theres the arabs south of the mediterenean. Once rulers from spain to italy to to the holy lands. This is what gives the spanish and sicilians a difference from north italy and france.

There's also the scandinavians in the north. Which i dont know anything about!


I always find it strange that the americans consider themselves a different ethnicity than the 'europeans'. Americans are colonies of the British and french, and west europe. In old imperial times when new land was conquered it was populated. It has only been 300 years, and these settlers claim their own identity. Peoples in europe can trace their roots and cultures back thousands of years. Your ancestors have their roots also, i would be curious to find out. America is truly the land of defectors lol.

 

[Audiophile]

I haven't travelled nearly as much as I would have liked. I've been to many places in the US/Canada. Singapore, India, Australia, etc. However, never have been to Europe. I've read many posts from dudes from Europe and from guys like BigJimbo who extoll Europe while saying that the US blows! I've never been to Europe so I don't know the differences between the two societies.

Although I'm young, I spent most of my life in Europe growing up (Romania), and from what I've experienced, women in the USA (Canada is a bit different) SUCK

I recently took a trip of Montreal, Canada. Montreal is one of the most European places in Canada. I live in Western Canada, which is kind of the most redneck part! I definitely noticed quite a few differences between the two:

Fvcking love Montreal! Going there at the end of the summer for a party at McGill, gonna be a blast. Montreal is the closest thing you'll get to Europe while still living in North America

1. Generally, more attractive girls in Montreal vs. my neck of the woods. Women there were dressed great and generally in better shape.

Women don't have the same values in Europe. They will generally dress better/act more ladylike, simply because it's the way the culture is. They have a lot more self respect.

2. Less fat people everywhere. I've been to places in the US where the number/amounts of fat people make me wanna throw up. Montreal had hardly any.

America loves to live in excess. Most European countries don't have easy access to really fattening foods. People also walk more due to everything being closer together, and will generally be a lot more frugal.

3. Generally, people were more friendly/laid back vs. many other parts of the world that I've been to. I guess most people in Canada are pretty chill. I still think San Fran has some of the friendliest people anywhere!

This is another cultural thing. It isn't as shunned upon to NOT talk to people. In Romania at least, most people won't spend their days locked inside, instead they'll lead more sociable lives, which leads to them being more open and friendly with people. This is a huge subject in itself, and I don't really want to get into it, but for the most part, people are more friendly.

4. Very multicultural societies. Walking through the mall I saw tons of different people from many different cultures/ethnicities. I guess most bigger cities are probably like this.

You see a lot of this because of how close all of the countries are, there's a lot of emigration/immigration between borders, so there will always be a rich multicultural community.

5. Lots of nice high-end vehicles vs. western Canada... My city is a fairly blue-collar city, and people will go out and drop 50k on a souped up truck even if they don't need one... guess its just culture here. There's LOTS of money in my province, so people here can afford to make dumb purchases.

People value different things. I imagine in Alberta trucks are MUCH more popular due to their availability/status they exude. You won't see too many huge trucks simply because they are bad on gas, aren't meant to be a good transport vehicle, and are too damn big.

6. More liberal attitudes towards homos, nudity, etc. I remember going to a news stand kiosk at the airport and them having mainstream magazines w/ nudity right on the cover.

People are more open and are a LOT more comfortable with their sexuality.

7. Alcohol is very easily available. Any cafe that we went to seemed to have beer/wine for sale. This is hardly the case in Alberta, where you have to be specifically licensed to serve alcoholic beverages, and smaller cafes hardly ever have alcohol.

Drinking as a social activity is an integral part of a lot of European cultures, so they've assimilated it everywhere. Drinking isn't too big of a deal.

8. Tons of pedestrian traffic in certain parts of the city... People seem to walk a lot more in certain parts of the city vs. driving. I've heard that Europeans walk/bike a helluva lot more than us here in North America.

This is for a number of reasons. The roads are smaller and the traffic is terrible. Geographically, everything is very close, so owning a car isn't necessary.

Basically I'm wondering if these are trends that are seen in Europe vs. the US/North America for those who are from Europe or have traveled there... Yes BigJimbo I'm calling you out!


It was a cool experience. Guys in Montreal/Europe must have a kickass time railing all these hot girls!!

You really should try and find a way to travel to France or Italy to see for yourself. Sex is a much more casual thing, so hooking up isn't too big of a deal.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

 

[Fuglydude]

Thanks for clarifying that the differences in Europe are much more pronounced...

I guess it makes sense when you think about the history of the region.

Very cool responses though guys. Thanks.

 

[OzyBoy]

I'm thinking about going to Canada later this year for a holiday. Montreal sounds like a good place to go. I went the US last year and hardly saw any fat people. :rockon:

 

[BigJimbo]

You really should try and find a way to travel to France or Italy to see for yourself. Sex is a much more casual thing, so hooking up isn't too big of a deal.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Sex IS NOT more casual in Italy or France. My GOD, the British call the Italians the bunny rabbits of Europe. Italian girls don't lose their virginity until around 20 years of age. If you are dealing with Southern Italy you had better be prepared to marry her. That is why Italians guys all travel outside of Italy or hit on any female tourist they see. Poland is also somewhat similar (save for the fact that Polish girls are a lot better looking than Italian girls).

Being 18 and from Toronto I hardly doubt you have much experience. Plus, Italian and French girls like MUCH older men. Remember, Berlusconi and his 17 year old flames?

 

[Leporello]

Question: I'm still young and haven't really traveled the world at all, but why is it Europe, the place where everyone visits? I'm just thinking don't places like China and India and other countries have culture too? Why is it whenever I hear traveling the world, it basically means sight seeing Europe?

Because that's the place where most US/Canadians go when they travel internationally. It's also a remnant of the 'grand tour' mentality.

Anyone who claims china or India are not distinct cultures is an idiot.

If you want girls to tell you you've got a big dyck, nothing beats Asia.

 

[Taviii]

Salut Audiophile,

Cu tine suntem 3 romani pe aici